1930s birth registered by a hospital matron - is this odd?

[MaggiesGD]

I have a birth certificate form the 1930s where the birth was registered 4 days after the birth by the Matron of the hospital where the birth took place. 

Other birth certificates I have obtained show births registered by relatives not hospital staff.  Was the mother legally allowed to register the birth herself in the 1930s? What circumstances could lead to the birth being registered by a hospital matron?

[stanmapstone]

The law is that anyone present at the birth can register it.
The 1874 Act states
1, In the case of every child born alive after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the father and mother of the child, and in default of the father and mother, of the occupier of the house in which to his knowledge the child is born, and of each person present at the birth, and of the person having charge of the child, to give to the registrar, within forty-two days next after such birth, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/acts/1874Act.htm




Stan

[Redroger]

I have a birth certificate form the 1930s where the birth was registered 4 days after the birth by the Matron of the hospital where the birth took place. 

Other birth certificates I have obtained show births registered by relatives not hospital staff.  Was the mother legally allowed to register the birth herself in the 1930s? What circumstances could lead to the birth being registered by a hospital matron?

Stan has explained the legal situation. My question which could be a pointer to the reason is: "Did the mother survive longterm?" If not, then it may have been that her death was anticipated by the hospital.

[Nick29]

No need to expect the worst, though.  The mother could simply have been too ill, and the father for some reason unable to do it.  If the mother did die, it shouldn't be too hard to find the death record.

[MaggiesGD]

Ok I will add everything I know. 

The child was placed in an orphanage.  However there is no trace of the mother's death at the time of birth or shortly after.  If my investigations have traced the correct mother, she moved back to her home town 200 miles away and lived for many years after.

I am asking as I wonder if the 20 year old unmarried mother (no father on birth certificate) left the hospital as soon as she was well enough possibly without letting any of the staff know.  Hence the matron discovered the mother had left and was forced to register the birth herself. 

[carol8353]

If the mum had agreed before the birth to give up the baby for adoption,then it would have been taken away and she would have been free to go on her way. Leaving a member of the hospital staff to register the birth.

I think that the registrar used to go to hospitals to register births in those days..........I may be wrong!

Carol

[stanmapstone]

I think that the registrar used to go to hospitals to register births in those days..........I may be wrong!

Carol

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act [37 & 38 Vict. Ch. 88] 1874
4. It shall be the duty of the registrar to inform himself carefully of every birth which happens within his sub-district, and upon receiving personally from the informant at any time within three months from the date of the birth of any child or the finding of any living new-born child information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth of such child, forthwith in the prescribed form and manner to register the birth and the said particulars (if not previously registered), without fee or reward from the informant, except that if, in pursuance of a written requisition, he registers the same at the residence of the person making such requisition or at the house in which the birth took place, be shall, unless the birth took place in a public institution, be entitled to the appointed fee.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1874/pdf/ukpga_18740088_en.pdf

Stan

[carol8353]

Ah but that was in 1874- isn't there anything more recent  (just trying to get myself out of the mire here)

A friend of mine confirmed that in the 1950's the registrar came round to the hospital where she was born,so as not to miss any babies I suppose!

Or as a good deed to the knackered mothers perhaps?

Carol

[LizzieW]

Registrars used to go round to the maternity homes/hospitals even in the 1960s.  I registered a son in November 1968.  In 1974 I also registered a son at the hospital which was in a different county and town, so the practice was kept going for some time.